The Nashville Predators ventured to the Pepsi Center to do battle with the Colorado Avalanche. Even though it is early January, this game took on some significance because the Predators stood just one point in front of the Avs in the standings, with the Predators in 7th place with 48 points and the Avalanche in tied for 9th with 47 points.
This would be the first of four meetings with the Avalanche and the first of two consecutive games between the two teams.
The Predators opened with Pekka Rinne in net, while the Avalanche had Semyon Varlamov tending the pipes.
The Predators opened the scoring at 4:31 of the first period as the line of Jordin Tootoo, Gabriel Bourque, and Nick Spaling continued their stellar play. Tootoo and Bourque battled behind the net for the puck, and Tootoo won the puck battle and slipped the puck to Spaling in the low slot. Spaling's wrist shot was hammered past Varlamov to give the Predators a 1-0 lead.
With T.J. Galiardi in the box for tripping, the Predators potent power play continued the effectiveness as Ryan Ellis blasted a shot from inside the blue line over the glove of a screened Varlamov to give the Predators a 2-0 lead at 7:18 of the first. Patric Hornqvist was in front of the net and did a very good job of taking away the eyes of Varlamov on Ellis' shot.
The Predators continued their assault on Varlamov as Marty Erat unleashed a dart at Varlamov that absolutely fooled the Avs netminder and found the back of the net through the five hole to make it 3-0 Predators at 15:35 of the first period. Erat took the puck in the face off circle and did not hesitiate, letting go a quick snap shot. This is the what this team needs out of Erat- shots on goal, and he was rewarded with a score on his first shot.
At the end of the first period, the Predators out shot the Avalanche 13-6. That doesn't tell the whole story, however. The Predators were dominant on the forecheck, forcing turnovers and limiting the Avs breakouts theough the neutral zone. Their low cycle controlled the puck and created quality scoring opportunities. The line of Tootoo, Spaling, and Bourque were outstanding.
After this solid first period, the Predators were going to need to come out in the second period and continue their solid effort.
The Predators opened the second period with some good scoring chances, but Varlamov was equal to the task of turning aside the Predators chances. Colrado came with their inevitable puck back, and began to control the puck in the Predators zone. The Avs were aided by a questionable goaltender interference call on Matt Halischuk, but the the Predators PK unit was able to stymie the Avs chances. During this stretch, Rinne came up with some good saves to keep the Avs off the board.
Throughout the period, the Avs dominated play and kept the Predators bottled up in their zone and limited the offensive opportunities. The Predators were badly out shot by a margin of 18-6.
Late in the period, Francis Buillon was called for hooking, and the Avalanche made the Predators pay for their infraction. Ryan O'Reilly tipped a puck past Rinne off a pass from Paul Stastny to make it a 3-1 contest at 18:25 of the second.
The Predators survived the second period. That is about all that can be said about it. They were back on their heels and spent much of the period chasing the puck. This type of play set up a third period in which everyone knew that the Avs were going to come out again with another strong push. It was going to be incumbent on the Predators to come out with more jump and answer the push from the Avs.
The Avs opened the third period with a continued strong push. The difference in this period was that the Predators responded. After being out shot 5-0 to open the period, the Predators came back with a strong forecheck and started to get shots in on Varlamov. The Predators forecheck began to disrupt the Avs offensive push and forced them to get deeper in their zone. This created some chances for the Predators and it felt like the Predators were beginning to take momentum back to their side.
The Predators finally broke through at 15:34 of the third period as Ryan Ellis was able to hold the puck in at the blue line. He got a pass to Patric Hornqvist in the high slot, and his quick wrist shot beat Varlamov high over the glove side to restore the Predators 3 goal lead at 4-1.
The Predators held off the Avs for the remainder of the period and secured an important victory against a team that is desperately chasing them in the standings. The importance of this type of game is that it essentially a 4 point game, and with the win, the Predators extended their lead over the Avs to 3 points.
Kudos to the kids for their play tonight. Gabriel Bourque, Ryan Ellis, and Roman Josi had solid games. This is what had been hoped- that these young players would mature quickly and contribute, and they did that tonight.
The Avs out shot the Predators 33-26, and it goes without saying that Pekka Rinne kept the Predators in the contest in the second period when the Predators offense struggled. Rinne was outstanding, thwarting the Avs offensive chances.
This was a quality win by the Predators. We are watching a young team grow up and become a real force. This has to continue for the Predators to be successful.
Keep doing this and you will bury more opponents
My three stars:
1. Pekka Rinne
2. Ryan Ellis
3. Nick Spaling
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Predators Mid-Season Report Card
So, half way through the season, it is time to take a look at the components of the team and hand out mid-season grades.
FORWARDS
Rookie Craig Smith has been a very pleasant surprise for the Predators, playing in all 41 games and spending some time with the top six forwards as well as getting some first unit power play time. Smith leads all forwards with 112 shots on goals (SOG). His 26 points (9G 17A) leads all forwards. Smith is a shoot first forward with lots of creativity who is still growing his game, but Predator fans have caught glimpses of the dynamism that he brings to the ice.
Patric Hornqvist is second in shots, with 108, good for 18 points (11G 7A), and thrives on his crash and bang style of play around the net. For Hornqvist to have success, he has to be in the dirty areas around the net, fighting for rebounds. More importantly, he has to have teammates that are shooting the puck frequently when he is on the ice for him to have an opportunity to do the tough work around the net. Hornqvist has continued his tough play, although he has disappeared for stretches, which has been more of a function of the playmakers around him rather than lack of effort.
It is interesting when you examine the shots on goal at the mid-way mark of the season. Among the forwards, the player with the third most shots on goal is David Legwand, with 71. That is a deficit of 37 shots between the second and third forward. Looking at the other top six forwards, Mike Fisher (7G 12A 19 points) has 69 SOG; Colin Wilson has (8G 15A 13 points) 65 SOG; Sergei Kostitsyn (8G 11A 19 points) has 39 SOG; and Marty Erat (8G 17A 25 points) has 50 SOG. This means that the top six forwards are averaging 2 SOG or less for the games they have played.
If there is a criticism of this group, it is that they have to shoot the puck more often. The talent and experience of this group of forwards would indicate that they can and should be putting the puck on net more often, and for this team to have success in the second half of the season, they are going to have to do this consistently.
Tied for second in goals with two others is Matt Halischuk, with 9 goals. Hustlechuk is the epitome of an opportunistic, grinding forward that thrives in the Predators system, and his offensive contribution has been surprising and welcome.
Like Halischuk, Jordin Tootoo is having a very strong campaign. Tootoo is the type of player that every team hates and covets. He is a high energy player that brings a punishing physical presence and can drop the gloves when necessary. The aspect of his game that has developed is that he is now added an offensive punch to his game. Tootoo has 19 points (6G 13A) and has emerged as a solid offensive player on the third line.
New call up Gabriel Bourque has only played five games, but has shown that he can be a very solid player. He is incredibly strong on the puck and has good hockey sense. I look for Bourque to be a solid contributor per game as the season continues to unfold.
Nick Spaling (5G 8A 13 points) and Jerred Smithson (1G 3A 4 points) have been solid in their checking roles and have chipped in with a few timely goals. Brian McGrattan has 2 points (2A) in 25 games. This has been about what I have expected out of these players.
There is offensive talent on this team. The problem for the Predators is that there are times where it doesn't show up consistently. It is no secret that the top six forwards have to generate more offensive chances and it starts with shooting the puck.
Often.
GRADE: B-
DEFENSE
Any discussion of the Predators blue liners starts with the big two: Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. These two studs have combined for 54 points (Weber 9G 21A 30 points; Suter 5G 19A 24 points) and a cumulative +19 (Weber +12; Suter +7). Both players chew up the minutes, with Weber averaging 26:19 per game and Suter averaging 27:01. Both are solid in all zones and are called upon to shut down the opponents top forwards. The numbers bear out that they have been very good at doing that.
Once you get past these two, things get dicey for the Predators D corp. The remainder of the defensemen that have manned the blue line for the Predators are a combined -41 through the first half of the season.
Ouch.
The Predators made a strategic decision to give some younger players a chance to develop and secure starting roles, with Shane O'Brien and Cody Franson departing in the off season. It has been a painful learning process for some of these younger players, as well as some of the returning veterans.
Here are the painful numbers: Klein -12; Blum -14; Josi -7; Hillen -1; Buillon -5; Ellis 0; Laakso -1; Ekholm -1. Part of this is due to chemistry and new players learning how their partner plays. Again, this is part of the learning and growing process, but it has cost the Predators some games and precious points.
Rather than dwell on the negative, let's take a look at some positive aspects.
Roman Josi has played 20 games and has started to emerge as a very solid player. He is a smooth skater, handles the puck well, and has great vision. He has a surprisingly wicked shot, and when Shea Weber was out of the line up, played on the first D pairing with Ryan Suter and acquitted himself very well. I believe Josi will continue to develop and will emerge as a very capable blue liner for the Predators.
Ryan Ellis has played five games, and his offensive prowess has started to emerge. He is very adept at handling the puck and has handled well the physical rigors of battling with bigger forwards by being positionally sound. Ellis is making a strong case to stay up with the Predators rather than return to Milwaukee.
Kevin Klein's play of late has been sound. Klein is often vilified for being on the ice when the other team finds the back of our net. His +/- says that this is a problem. Often, however, Klein has been victimized by the mistakes of his partner (see: Blum, Jonathan) or a break down by a forward. Klein is serviceable and will continue to log some big minutes for the D corp. Klein is putting in just over 20 minutes a game on the second pairing.
Jack Hillen is smallish, but he is a battler. Hillen averages 13:49 per game in ice time, he rarely makes an egregious mistake that victimizes the team.
The bubble player is Jonathan Blum. Blum has been given every opportunity to seize control of a roster spot, but unfortunately for him and the team, his play has at best been highly inconsistent. He runs the risk of losing a roster spot to Ellis and could find himself being returned to Milwaukee.
If the defense corp solidifies behind Weber and Suter, this team will be very dangerous not only in the regular season, but in the playoffs.
That is a very big "if".
SPLIT GRADE: Weber/Suter A+ EVERYONE ELSE: D+
GOALTENDERS
For the Predators, their rock in the net is Pekka Rinne. Rinne has appeared in 37 games this season, and has a 2.61 GAA and a .917 save %. Rinne is 20-11-4, with 3 shutouts. These numbers are not as good as his Vezina nominated season of a year ago. To understand why, read the section above about the Predators defense. Rinne continues to be very strong in net, and his play has stolen several games for the Predators in the first half of the season. He is a battler that is positionally sound, possesses an amazing glove hand, and is capable of making some spectacular saves. Rinne's even demeanor and humbleness belie his quiet confidence, evidenced by his outstanding play not only during regulation, but in shootouts. The Predators should take comfort in the fact that Rinne only seems to get stronger as the season progresses.
Anders Lindback is a very serviceable backup. He has appeared in 8 games and has a 2.75 GAA and a .893 save %. Lindback will be called into action more in the second half of the season as the Predators will have several back to back games on their schedule.
GRADE: A
COACHING STAFF
The coaching staff saw long time assistant coach Brent Peterson leave the bench due to a battle with Parkinson's disease, and Lane Lambert joined the staff from his Head Coaching position in Milwaukee. Head Coach Barry Trotz and long time assistant Peter Horachek continue behind the bench. Trotz and his staff are outstanding in their ability to get the most out of the players on their roster. Trotz is a master motivator and has the uncanny ability to push the right buttons on this team. More importantly, he has the attention of the players as to what is important and gets the best out of them in that regard. There has never been a concern that Trotz has "lost the room', and given his tenure behind the bench, that is a singularly impressive feat.
As to that tenure- Trotz is the second longest tenured coach with one team, behind Lindy Ruff of Buffalo by four months. To give some perspective to that feat, consider this: since Trotz was hired as Head Coach, there have been 170 coaching changes in the NHL through last night.
One cannot discount the benefit of that stability. Players know what to expect out of the staff, and that is very important. I think that is one of the primary reasons that the players produce for Trotz and the staff.
Look for Trotz to do some of his best coaching in the second half of the season. Barring decimating injuries, I expect Trotz and the staff to get the team to perform even better in the second half of the year.
GRADE: A
I will do another report card at the end of the season, and it will be interesting to compare the grades to this one.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Predators Blow Away the Hurricanes 5-2
The Nashville Predators played one of their most complete games of the season, dominating the Carolina Hurricanes by a 5-2 margin. The Predators power play, which had gone 0-14 in their recent games, exploded for a 4 for 4 performance to lead the Predators in the win.
The Hurricanes were playing the second of back to back games, and since starting netminder Cam Ward had played the night before, Justin Peters got the start. The Predators went with their workhorse and stalwart, Pekka Rinne.
There is no doubt that the Hurricanes have struggled, but new Head Coach Kirk Mueller, recently of the Milwaukee Admirals, has his team competing hard every night. Tonight was no different.
Carolina opened the contest with good jump and controlled the puck early in the Predators zone. The Predators defense did a good job of keeping the Canes to the outside and limiting quality scoring chances.
It took a few minutes, but the Predators started to establish control of the puck and gained a territorial advantage by winning neutral zone battles and getting good breakouts into the Canes offensive zone.
The Predators got on the board at 9:14 of the first period as Shea Weber took a pass from Marty Erat and unleashed a blast from the blue line that cleanly beat Peters. To get an idea of the velocity of that shot, consider that Peters was unscreened and had a good look at the shot and was still beaten over his shoulder by the rocket from the Captain for a 1-0 lead.
Craig Smith extended the lead to 2-0 at 13:16 of the first with the Predators on the power play. Smith took a cross ice pass from David Legwand and uncorked a blistering one timer that beat Peters between his shoulder and the near post. It was good to see Smith get on the board as he had gone 25 games without a goal. For Smith, it was his 9th goal of the season.
In the second period, the Predators were on the power play with Alex Ponikarovsky in the box for tripping. Mike Fisher took a shot from the slot that was tipped through the five hole of Peters by Patric Hornqvist at 17:04. This was Hornqvist's 10th goal of the season.
Rinne made a fantastic glove save to keep the Canes off the board. The puck was bouncing around and skittered to Rinne's right side. A Hurricane player slapped the puck at what appeared to be an open net, but Rinne dove across the ice and the puck landed in his glove for a remarkable save.
Hornqvist notched his second goal of the game at 6:56 of the third period, this another power play tally. Hornqvist was battling in front of the net and was able to find the puck after a shot by Marty Erat. Peters could not control the rebound, and Hornqvist was able to slam home the puck to give the Predators a 4-0 lead.
Jay Harrison scored for the Canes at 8:35 at even strength to make it 4-1.
Hornqvist appeared to have a t hat trick as he was sprawling on the ice and jammed the puck home. As the hats flew on the ice, the goal was reviewed and was inexplicably waved off as it was deemed that Hornqvist had kicked the puck into the net. A questionable decision at best.
The Predators got that 5th goal, once again on the power play, as Ryan Ellis launched a slap shot that beat Peters stick side to make it 5-1 at 14:28 of the third period. Ellis played a solid game, and it was good to see him rewarded with his first NHL goal.
The Canes Jay Harrison struck again on the power play at 17:56 of the third period. Harrison's shot from inside the blue line was going wide of the net, but hit defenseman Ryan Ellis in the butt and caromed past Rinne for the score.
The Predators controlled the play in the waning minutes of the contest and did not give the Canes any quality chances, and as the clock wound down, the 8th straight sellout crowd cheered the Predators 5-2 win.
For the night, the Predators out shot the Hurricanes 36-29. More importantly, a number of their shots were from close in, the quality scoring areas. They crashed the net and generated numerous second chances and they were rewarded for their effort tonight.
On the defensive end of the ice, the Predators did a very good job of keeping the Hurricanes to the outside and not letting them get many shots from close in. Kudos to the Predators defense for their effort tonight.
The concern for the Predators coming out of this game is the health of Francis Buillon. He took a high stick to the mouth that chipped several teeth and required six stitches. He will have a root canal tomorrow and will be evaluated as to his ability to play on Tuesday at Colorado.
This was a solid win by the Predators, and it was due to playing Predator hockey. Shooting the puck and going strong to the net yielded positive results for this team tonight, and this is the way they have to continue to play.
Play like this, and they will continue to blow away opponents.
My three stars:
1. Patric Hornqvist
2. Mike Fisher
3. Ryan Ellis
The Hurricanes were playing the second of back to back games, and since starting netminder Cam Ward had played the night before, Justin Peters got the start. The Predators went with their workhorse and stalwart, Pekka Rinne.
There is no doubt that the Hurricanes have struggled, but new Head Coach Kirk Mueller, recently of the Milwaukee Admirals, has his team competing hard every night. Tonight was no different.
Carolina opened the contest with good jump and controlled the puck early in the Predators zone. The Predators defense did a good job of keeping the Canes to the outside and limiting quality scoring chances.
It took a few minutes, but the Predators started to establish control of the puck and gained a territorial advantage by winning neutral zone battles and getting good breakouts into the Canes offensive zone.
The Predators got on the board at 9:14 of the first period as Shea Weber took a pass from Marty Erat and unleashed a blast from the blue line that cleanly beat Peters. To get an idea of the velocity of that shot, consider that Peters was unscreened and had a good look at the shot and was still beaten over his shoulder by the rocket from the Captain for a 1-0 lead.
Craig Smith extended the lead to 2-0 at 13:16 of the first with the Predators on the power play. Smith took a cross ice pass from David Legwand and uncorked a blistering one timer that beat Peters between his shoulder and the near post. It was good to see Smith get on the board as he had gone 25 games without a goal. For Smith, it was his 9th goal of the season.
In the second period, the Predators were on the power play with Alex Ponikarovsky in the box for tripping. Mike Fisher took a shot from the slot that was tipped through the five hole of Peters by Patric Hornqvist at 17:04. This was Hornqvist's 10th goal of the season.
Rinne made a fantastic glove save to keep the Canes off the board. The puck was bouncing around and skittered to Rinne's right side. A Hurricane player slapped the puck at what appeared to be an open net, but Rinne dove across the ice and the puck landed in his glove for a remarkable save.
Hornqvist notched his second goal of the game at 6:56 of the third period, this another power play tally. Hornqvist was battling in front of the net and was able to find the puck after a shot by Marty Erat. Peters could not control the rebound, and Hornqvist was able to slam home the puck to give the Predators a 4-0 lead.
Jay Harrison scored for the Canes at 8:35 at even strength to make it 4-1.
Hornqvist appeared to have a t hat trick as he was sprawling on the ice and jammed the puck home. As the hats flew on the ice, the goal was reviewed and was inexplicably waved off as it was deemed that Hornqvist had kicked the puck into the net. A questionable decision at best.
The Predators got that 5th goal, once again on the power play, as Ryan Ellis launched a slap shot that beat Peters stick side to make it 5-1 at 14:28 of the third period. Ellis played a solid game, and it was good to see him rewarded with his first NHL goal.
The Canes Jay Harrison struck again on the power play at 17:56 of the third period. Harrison's shot from inside the blue line was going wide of the net, but hit defenseman Ryan Ellis in the butt and caromed past Rinne for the score.
The Predators controlled the play in the waning minutes of the contest and did not give the Canes any quality chances, and as the clock wound down, the 8th straight sellout crowd cheered the Predators 5-2 win.
For the night, the Predators out shot the Hurricanes 36-29. More importantly, a number of their shots were from close in, the quality scoring areas. They crashed the net and generated numerous second chances and they were rewarded for their effort tonight.
On the defensive end of the ice, the Predators did a very good job of keeping the Hurricanes to the outside and not letting them get many shots from close in. Kudos to the Predators defense for their effort tonight.
The concern for the Predators coming out of this game is the health of Francis Buillon. He took a high stick to the mouth that chipped several teeth and required six stitches. He will have a root canal tomorrow and will be evaluated as to his ability to play on Tuesday at Colorado.
This was a solid win by the Predators, and it was due to playing Predator hockey. Shooting the puck and going strong to the net yielded positive results for this team tonight, and this is the way they have to continue to play.
Play like this, and they will continue to blow away opponents.
My three stars:
1. Patric Hornqvist
2. Mike Fisher
3. Ryan Ellis
Friday, January 6, 2012
My View
Random ruminations from your resident curmudgeon...
Welcome to 2012's new mascot, and just as our furry friend is intently focused on the kibble that is being tossed his way, we are going to intently focus on some important issues as well as have some fun in 2012. It goes without saying that this is going to be a very noisy year with the Presidential election in November, and there are numerous issues, both political and economic, that will be decided that will determine the direction of our country for a long time. With all the hype and hoopla, it is easy to just want to tune it out, but like our canine companion, we are going to stay focused on the kibbles, uh, issues. Hang on for the ride, because it is going to be an interesting year.
When people ask what is the one thing you would bring to a deserted island, I think the answer would be obvious. A boat.
There is going to be numerous economic numbers thrown about this year, originating from various departments of the government. Two of the most watched are the unemployment numbers and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which measure the growth of our economy. Here is a piece of advice about the data that is disseminated by federal agencies: take it with a grain of salt. Here is why. Those initial release of numbers are from raw data that is recalculated, refined, and re-worked to give the actual information. Here is an example: the third quarter 2011 GDP was released, and initially, it was reported that the U.S. economy grew 2.5% in that quarter. That is good growth, and the news was received positively in the markets and used to make political hay by both parties. But wait, in November, the number was revised down to 2%. Not done yet, the number was finally revised down to 1.8% in late November, a full 39% below the initial release. Imagine if a publicly traded company published information about the sales and growth of their firm that was as erroneous as this. Regulatory agencies would be absolutely apoplectic. Yet we tolerate it from our government. The take away from this is simply don't get too excited about the first release of the information that comes out of Washington. Although it will be spun by either side for political gain, more often than not, the data is inaccurate.
Is it my imagination, or do buffalo wings taste like chicken?
At the start of the new year, many of us start to gather information about what we spent last year and formulate a household budget for the coming year. If you have that financial discipline, one item that you may want to increase in your budget is the cost of gasoline for your vehicle. In 2011, according to a report on CNBC, gasoline averaged more than $3.50 per gallon, meaning that the typical American family spent $4,155 filling up their autos. That is a record, and represents 8.4% of the median household income in the U.S. That is the highest percentage since 1981. Part of this is because the demand for crude oil is rising globally as more emerging economies have populations that are purchasing automobiles. The other part is the failure of the United States to adequately develop the natural resources that are within its own borders. The double negative effect of the high cost of gasoline is this: it takes dollars that could be spent in other areas to help grow the economy and removes them from circulation; and in turn, those dollars are sent overseas to other countries. In essence, we are transferring our wealth outside our borders. Think about that the next time that you fill up. More importantly, think about it the next time someone in Washington continues to impede the development of our own natural resources.
Clothes don't make the man, but being naked will get you arrested.
And that, my friends, is my view.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Predators Hand the Stars a 4-1 Victory
The Nashville Predators handed the Dallas Stars a 4-1 victory at the Bridgestone Arena in front of the 7th consecutive sellout for the home team.
"Handed?" Sour grapes?
No.
Consider that in a 1-1 game, the Predators made two egregious mistakes that wound up in the back of their net and allowed the Stars to take control of the game and cement a win.
Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne is owed an apology by the team in front of him.
I will get to that in a moment.
First, the Predators welcomed back Shea Weber, who missed four games due to a cheap shot from the Stars Mark Fistric in a game just before Christmas. Weber was his usual physical self and appeared not to miss a beat, as he logged 25:45 of ice time.
As to the game, the Stars struck first as Mike Ribeiro got the Stars on the board first at 4:18 of the first period. Ribeiro undressed Roman Josi in front of the net, and the Predators forward was late getting back on the line change to help. Ribeiro made a nice move in the low slot and beat Rinne glove side to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.
The Predators answered at 8:31 of the first as Gabriel Bourque tallied his first NHL goal off some hard work and a nice pass from Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo fought for and won the puck behind the net and found Bourque in the low slot with a nice pass. Bourque buried the wrister behind Kari Lehtonen to tie the game at 1.
With time winding down in the first period, Ribeiro took a shot that eluded Rinne and was lying in the blue paint. Kevin Klein came back to help his goalie, but instead of securing the puck, accidentally knocked it into the net to give the Stars a 2-1 lead at 19:21 of the first period.
In the second period, the Predators gave the Stars another goal as Ryan Suter made a blind drop pass behind the net thinking that Nick Spaling would be there to take possession of the puck. Spaling was nowhere to be found, and the puck was taken by Jamie Benn at the goal line, and he fired a quick shot on the surprised Rinne that caromed off his skate and into the net to make it 3-1 at 6:28.
In the third period, Adam Burish gathered in a puck that the Predators failed to clear and then over skated in the defensive zone and fired a shot past a screened Rinne to make it 4-1 at 12:53 of the third period. This would be the final margin of the game.
For the Predators, this was a disappointing effort. Giving the Stars 3 goals is certainly a formula for defeat. The Predators offensive effort was negligible for the night. David Legwand, Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn were virtually invisible in this game, and for the Predators to have success, they have to be more effective and create chances.
By far, the best line for the Predators was the Tootoo, Bourque, Spaling line. They played with energy and enthusiasm, and were a force on the ice.
There was a large dose of animosity on the ice. Fistric was going to pay for his cheap shot on Weber, and early on was challenged by Jordin Tootoo. Fistric was not going to trade punches with Toots, and was content to hang on and try to wrestle with his opponent. When called out, Fistric would not answer.
As I mentioned, the effort tonight by the Predators was disappointing. Giving the Stars three goals doomed their effort against a team they need to beat and should beat.
There will be two more meetings against the Stars. Hopefully the Predators will not give them any goals in those contests.
My three stars:
1. Mike Ribeiro
2. Kari Lehtonen
3. Gabriel Bourque
"Handed?" Sour grapes?
No.
Consider that in a 1-1 game, the Predators made two egregious mistakes that wound up in the back of their net and allowed the Stars to take control of the game and cement a win.
Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne is owed an apology by the team in front of him.
I will get to that in a moment.
First, the Predators welcomed back Shea Weber, who missed four games due to a cheap shot from the Stars Mark Fistric in a game just before Christmas. Weber was his usual physical self and appeared not to miss a beat, as he logged 25:45 of ice time.
As to the game, the Stars struck first as Mike Ribeiro got the Stars on the board first at 4:18 of the first period. Ribeiro undressed Roman Josi in front of the net, and the Predators forward was late getting back on the line change to help. Ribeiro made a nice move in the low slot and beat Rinne glove side to give the Stars a 1-0 lead.
The Predators answered at 8:31 of the first as Gabriel Bourque tallied his first NHL goal off some hard work and a nice pass from Jordin Tootoo. Tootoo fought for and won the puck behind the net and found Bourque in the low slot with a nice pass. Bourque buried the wrister behind Kari Lehtonen to tie the game at 1.
With time winding down in the first period, Ribeiro took a shot that eluded Rinne and was lying in the blue paint. Kevin Klein came back to help his goalie, but instead of securing the puck, accidentally knocked it into the net to give the Stars a 2-1 lead at 19:21 of the first period.
In the second period, the Predators gave the Stars another goal as Ryan Suter made a blind drop pass behind the net thinking that Nick Spaling would be there to take possession of the puck. Spaling was nowhere to be found, and the puck was taken by Jamie Benn at the goal line, and he fired a quick shot on the surprised Rinne that caromed off his skate and into the net to make it 3-1 at 6:28.
In the third period, Adam Burish gathered in a puck that the Predators failed to clear and then over skated in the defensive zone and fired a shot past a screened Rinne to make it 4-1 at 12:53 of the third period. This would be the final margin of the game.
For the Predators, this was a disappointing effort. Giving the Stars 3 goals is certainly a formula for defeat. The Predators offensive effort was negligible for the night. David Legwand, Mike Fisher, Marty Erat, and Sergei Kostitsyn were virtually invisible in this game, and for the Predators to have success, they have to be more effective and create chances.
By far, the best line for the Predators was the Tootoo, Bourque, Spaling line. They played with energy and enthusiasm, and were a force on the ice.
There was a large dose of animosity on the ice. Fistric was going to pay for his cheap shot on Weber, and early on was challenged by Jordin Tootoo. Fistric was not going to trade punches with Toots, and was content to hang on and try to wrestle with his opponent. When called out, Fistric would not answer.
As I mentioned, the effort tonight by the Predators was disappointing. Giving the Stars three goals doomed their effort against a team they need to beat and should beat.
There will be two more meetings against the Stars. Hopefully the Predators will not give them any goals in those contests.
My three stars:
1. Mike Ribeiro
2. Kari Lehtonen
3. Gabriel Bourque
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
A Small Act of Kindness Speaks Volumes
The Nashville Predators have a program called the Blue Liner of the Game where a player from the area youth hockey leagues skates out and stands with the Predators starters at the blue line for the anthem at the beginning of the game. Each participant waits with an ice girl at the center red line, and then after the Predators starters have been introduced, skates out to stand with the players during the anthem.
At Sunday's game against the Calgary Flames, a young player from the A-Game Mite league (ages 7-8) in Franklin was to skate out with the Predators. What happened next was both touching and indicative of the type of players make up the roster of the Predators.
The young man, whose name I cannot remember, skated from the center red line where he was waiting for his introduction to the Predators blue line.
So far so good.
But rather than skate out and stand with the players, he froze at the boards, standing there alone and away from the team, approximately 50 feet from the nearest Predator player.
The Canadian anthem had just commenced, and the Predator player on the end of the line, Patric Hornqvist, motioned for the young man to come over and join the Predators players on the blue line. The young man saw Hornqvist motion, but did not move. Hornqvist then skated over to him during the Canadian anthem and put his arm around the shoulder of the young man and bent over and said something to him. They then skated together to join the rest of the Predators with Hornqvist arm around his shoulders, and the young player had the experience of standing with the team on the blue line for the remainder of the Canadian anthem and the Star Spangled Banner.
It would have been easy for Hornqvist to just stand there and do nothing. Game face and focus on the upcoming game and all that, you know. Instead, he took it upon himself to comfort the frightened skater and bring him over to join the team.
That small act of kindness and consideration is telling about the character of Patric Hornqvist. I think it is indicative of the character of the team as well.
It speaks to the fact that these elite athletes are good people. That small act of kindness toward a young man says to me that these players are aware of those around them and concerned about their well being. It tells me that this team has a locker room that will weather storms and tough times and pick each other up when it is not going well.
A little act.
One that speaks volumes.
At Sunday's game against the Calgary Flames, a young player from the A-Game Mite league (ages 7-8) in Franklin was to skate out with the Predators. What happened next was both touching and indicative of the type of players make up the roster of the Predators.
The young man, whose name I cannot remember, skated from the center red line where he was waiting for his introduction to the Predators blue line.
So far so good.
But rather than skate out and stand with the players, he froze at the boards, standing there alone and away from the team, approximately 50 feet from the nearest Predator player.
The Canadian anthem had just commenced, and the Predator player on the end of the line, Patric Hornqvist, motioned for the young man to come over and join the Predators players on the blue line. The young man saw Hornqvist motion, but did not move. Hornqvist then skated over to him during the Canadian anthem and put his arm around the shoulder of the young man and bent over and said something to him. They then skated together to join the rest of the Predators with Hornqvist arm around his shoulders, and the young player had the experience of standing with the team on the blue line for the remainder of the Canadian anthem and the Star Spangled Banner.
It would have been easy for Hornqvist to just stand there and do nothing. Game face and focus on the upcoming game and all that, you know. Instead, he took it upon himself to comfort the frightened skater and bring him over to join the team.
That small act of kindness and consideration is telling about the character of Patric Hornqvist. I think it is indicative of the character of the team as well.
It speaks to the fact that these elite athletes are good people. That small act of kindness toward a young man says to me that these players are aware of those around them and concerned about their well being. It tells me that this team has a locker room that will weather storms and tough times and pick each other up when it is not going well.
A little act.
One that speaks volumes.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Kostitsyn's Hat Trick Leads Predators Past the Flames
New Year's day signifies the start of something new, a chance to begin afresh.
For the Nashville Predators, their contest with the Calgary Flames started in a way that was anything but new. They gave up the first goal and allowed the Flames to hold a significant territorial advantage in the first 12:30 of their game at the Bridgestone Arena.
The new year saw the old Predators on the ice.
But it is a new year and a time of new beginnings, and the Predators reversed their fortunes with some strong play to defeat the Flames 5-3 in front of their sixth straight sellout crowd.
The Flames opened the scoring at 3:47 of the first period as Jerome Iginla spun away from Sergei Kostitsyn in the low slot and beat Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne with a shot low to the stick side to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. This was Iginla's 499th goal.
Calgary continued to control the puck in the Predators zone, and the Predators were looking much like the Predators team that would come out flat for a period and struggle to establish even the most basic offensive effort. The Predators often looked content to just get the puck out of the zone.
Same old Predators, eh?
Not so fast.
Instead of taking 20 minutes to finally get their game going, the Predators got their legs midway of the period and started to challenge the Flames. They began to get the puck deep and work their cycle to create chances and control possession.
The Predators broke through on the scoreboard at 12:39 of the first period as Kevin Klein, back in the lineup after missing six games with the flu, blasted a slap shot from the blue line that beat a screened Mikka Kiprusoff glove side to tie the game at 1. Critical to this goal was Gabriel Bourque, who battled behind the net and fought to get control of the puck. This play doesn't happen if Bourque does not win that puck battle
That goal served to energize the Predators, as the would dominate the Flames for the rest of the period and all of the second period. For the next 30 minutes, the Predators would play as good a stretch of hockey as they have played all season.
Sergei Kostitsyn would notch the Predators second goal at 15:46 of the period off a nice assist from Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist battled hard in the corner and passed the puck from out of the corner from behind the goal line to Kostitsyn, who was driving hard to the net. Kostitsyn was able to get his stick on the pass and chip the puck over Kiprusoff, who could not get over to cover the left side of the net to make it 2-1.
The Flames out shot the Predators 9-7 in the first period, but the final eight minutes were controlled by the Predators.
They continued to dominate play throughout the second period, out shooting the Flames 14-5 and controlling the puck for long stretches. Calgary went over 10 minutes in the period without a shot on net.
The Predators made it 3-1 just 2:27 into the second period as Matt Halischuk tallied his 9th goal of the year by driving the net and hammering a snap shot past Kirusoff from the slot.
Sergei Kostitsyn would tally his second goal of the contest at 5:59 of the second as he broke in 2 on 1 with Patric Hornqvist. Kostitsyn looked to Hornqvist as if he was going to pass the puck and snapped a wrist shot that beat Kipper five hole to make it 4-1.
Everyone in the arena knew that Calgary would not roll over and would have a push in the third period, and that is just what they did. Rene Bourque scored just 1:17 into the period as he skated into the slot and beat Rinne make it 4-2.
Two goal lead for the Predators and they were still in control, but Calgary kept pushing, trying to draw closer. The Predators did a good job in the period of forcing Calgary to the outside and keeping the Flames forwards from the front of the net. Limiting quality scoring chances was going to be critical for the Predators to secure the victory, and they were doing a good job of doing just that for the bulk of the period.
Calgary cut the lead to 1, 4-3, at 17:57 of the third period as Brenden Morrison was able to beat Rinne by slamming home a rebound of a T. J. Brodie shot.
Kiprusoff was pulled for the extra attacker, and with a face off in the Predators zone, the pucker factor for Predators fans was off the chart.
That anxiety would change to elation as Sergei Kostitsyn corralled a chip out of the zone by Kevin Klein that appeared destined for the empty net and tapped it into the empty net for the final margin of 5-3 for the Predators. For Kostitsyn, this was his first career hat trick, and his timely scoring propelled the Predators to the first win of 2012.
Once again, the Predators were without Shea Weber, who has been moved to Injured Reserve with his concussion, and Colin Wilson, who is out with an upper body injury. Since Weber has been out of the lineup, the Predators are 3-1. They have won 9 of their last 12 games.
Once again, this effort tonight showed that this team can win playing Predator hockey. Timely scoring from throughout the lineup and solid defense and goaltending have been the keys to success for this team. This team will win and will win frequently if they keep playing with this kind of effort.
Both Jordin Tootoo and birthday boy Patric Hornqvist had two assists.
Calgary is a team chasing the Predators in the standings, and it is important that this team take care of business against an opponent that is trying to catch them in the standings.
Hats off for a solid effort.
My three stars:
1. Sergei Kostitsyn
2. Kevin Klein
3. Patric Hornqvist
For the Nashville Predators, their contest with the Calgary Flames started in a way that was anything but new. They gave up the first goal and allowed the Flames to hold a significant territorial advantage in the first 12:30 of their game at the Bridgestone Arena.
The new year saw the old Predators on the ice.
But it is a new year and a time of new beginnings, and the Predators reversed their fortunes with some strong play to defeat the Flames 5-3 in front of their sixth straight sellout crowd.
The Flames opened the scoring at 3:47 of the first period as Jerome Iginla spun away from Sergei Kostitsyn in the low slot and beat Nashville netminder Pekka Rinne with a shot low to the stick side to give the Flames a 1-0 lead. This was Iginla's 499th goal.
Calgary continued to control the puck in the Predators zone, and the Predators were looking much like the Predators team that would come out flat for a period and struggle to establish even the most basic offensive effort. The Predators often looked content to just get the puck out of the zone.
Same old Predators, eh?
Not so fast.
Instead of taking 20 minutes to finally get their game going, the Predators got their legs midway of the period and started to challenge the Flames. They began to get the puck deep and work their cycle to create chances and control possession.
The Predators broke through on the scoreboard at 12:39 of the first period as Kevin Klein, back in the lineup after missing six games with the flu, blasted a slap shot from the blue line that beat a screened Mikka Kiprusoff glove side to tie the game at 1. Critical to this goal was Gabriel Bourque, who battled behind the net and fought to get control of the puck. This play doesn't happen if Bourque does not win that puck battle
That goal served to energize the Predators, as the would dominate the Flames for the rest of the period and all of the second period. For the next 30 minutes, the Predators would play as good a stretch of hockey as they have played all season.
Sergei Kostitsyn would notch the Predators second goal at 15:46 of the period off a nice assist from Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist battled hard in the corner and passed the puck from out of the corner from behind the goal line to Kostitsyn, who was driving hard to the net. Kostitsyn was able to get his stick on the pass and chip the puck over Kiprusoff, who could not get over to cover the left side of the net to make it 2-1.
The Flames out shot the Predators 9-7 in the first period, but the final eight minutes were controlled by the Predators.
They continued to dominate play throughout the second period, out shooting the Flames 14-5 and controlling the puck for long stretches. Calgary went over 10 minutes in the period without a shot on net.
The Predators made it 3-1 just 2:27 into the second period as Matt Halischuk tallied his 9th goal of the year by driving the net and hammering a snap shot past Kirusoff from the slot.
Sergei Kostitsyn would tally his second goal of the contest at 5:59 of the second as he broke in 2 on 1 with Patric Hornqvist. Kostitsyn looked to Hornqvist as if he was going to pass the puck and snapped a wrist shot that beat Kipper five hole to make it 4-1.
Everyone in the arena knew that Calgary would not roll over and would have a push in the third period, and that is just what they did. Rene Bourque scored just 1:17 into the period as he skated into the slot and beat Rinne make it 4-2.
Two goal lead for the Predators and they were still in control, but Calgary kept pushing, trying to draw closer. The Predators did a good job in the period of forcing Calgary to the outside and keeping the Flames forwards from the front of the net. Limiting quality scoring chances was going to be critical for the Predators to secure the victory, and they were doing a good job of doing just that for the bulk of the period.
Calgary cut the lead to 1, 4-3, at 17:57 of the third period as Brenden Morrison was able to beat Rinne by slamming home a rebound of a T. J. Brodie shot.
Kiprusoff was pulled for the extra attacker, and with a face off in the Predators zone, the pucker factor for Predators fans was off the chart.
That anxiety would change to elation as Sergei Kostitsyn corralled a chip out of the zone by Kevin Klein that appeared destined for the empty net and tapped it into the empty net for the final margin of 5-3 for the Predators. For Kostitsyn, this was his first career hat trick, and his timely scoring propelled the Predators to the first win of 2012.
Once again, the Predators were without Shea Weber, who has been moved to Injured Reserve with his concussion, and Colin Wilson, who is out with an upper body injury. Since Weber has been out of the lineup, the Predators are 3-1. They have won 9 of their last 12 games.
Once again, this effort tonight showed that this team can win playing Predator hockey. Timely scoring from throughout the lineup and solid defense and goaltending have been the keys to success for this team. This team will win and will win frequently if they keep playing with this kind of effort.
Both Jordin Tootoo and birthday boy Patric Hornqvist had two assists.
Calgary is a team chasing the Predators in the standings, and it is important that this team take care of business against an opponent that is trying to catch them in the standings.
Hats off for a solid effort.
My three stars:
1. Sergei Kostitsyn
2. Kevin Klein
3. Patric Hornqvist
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